


on starry nights i miss you

by towokuwusatsuwu



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, M/M, Princes & Princesses, Treason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 21:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14860598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: “Sir.” The guard at his side speaks his name softly and Johnny tears his eyes away from the glossy doors in front of him to look to Taeil. “Are you all right?”“I’ll be fine. It’s what has to be done, after all. If you commit treason against the crown, you have to be prepared for what happens should you be caught.” Johnny swallows hard around the thought of the executioner’s axe, the blade glinting in the afternoon sunlight.Taeil sighs softly and shakes his head. “That’s not what I mean. The two of you grew up together, did you not? Are you going to be okay after all this is said and done?”“I have to be.” When Taeil gives him an exasperated expression, Johnny simply sighs at him in return and tents his fingers in front of his mouth. “If I fail now, if I fail to prove I can do this, then Father will never let me take the throne. He won’t see me as worthy if I can’t do this for him. I have to be okay because that is the only way I can take the throne in his place.”





	on starry nights i miss you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dialecstatic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dialecstatic/gifts).



> happy birthday aibou~! this particular story is dedicated to my best friend milo and written specifically for his birthday. we've been friends for so long now that it feels like we've never been apart for any time at all. i'm so glad you finally got into kpop! and i'm so glad you found boys that you care about and can invest your passionate time and energy in.
> 
> you're so talented, artistic with your words, and dedicated to painting such beautiful imagery and i don't think you'll ever know just how wonderful your writing is no matter how many of us tell you. it's been a pleasure to watch your writing skills bloom into the sheer beauty and perfection that they have come to grow to be today.
> 
> you are my best friend. you have always been there for me during the hard times and have always been a shoulder for me when i needed you. we get to enjoy so many things together and nothing feels as good as talking to you at the end of a long day of work, sometimes during my work shift (shh, don't tell anyone!). everyone in your life is so lucky to have been blessed to know you in this lifetime. i love you. have a wonderful birthday!

Though this is well within his normal duties as the prince of this land, Johnny finds himself wringing his hands together nervously, twisted in the soft fine fabric of his road as he tries to keep himself under control. Appearing as anything but calm, collected, and confident in front of his subjects is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form and Johnny will not let himself crack around the edges over something as simple as handling a traitor to the throne. That this traitor is his childhood friend and someone he hoped he would never see in front of him is not of any concern to him, and he knows it is of no concern to anyone else, either.

His father has faith in his ability to do what is needed as the prince and gave him this opportunity to prove that his loyalty is in the right place. Johnny knows that failure is not an option in an situation like this one, and that if he lets himself appear weak or unable to do what needs to be done, his father will remove him from this role. Johnny wants nothing more than to take over as king after his father steps down from the throne, and this is important to him.

If he was a colder and crueler person, he might question as to why Ten would have to go and ruin such an excellent set-up for him by letting himself get caught after years on the run.

The former noble’s son had bolted from the kingdom with the resistance at his earliest opportunity; Johnny still remembers the night Ten had snuck into bed with him, covering Johnny’s mouth with his hand to keep him quiet while he explained he was leaving and that he would do his best never to come back and let himself become a problem for Johnny. As long as Johnny kept to his path, Ten would keep to his.

Until today. Johnny had been woken earlier than usual by his father instead of his usual servants and had been told that he would be responsible for handling Ten and doling out the punishment proper for treason. The thought of handing his best friend a death sentence weighs heavy on Johnny’s heart, but letting himself show this in any way will certainly become an issue for him as well as Ten. His father can be worse than he can, after all.

Johnny takes a deep breath to calm himself down, though it does nothing to slow the rapid beating of his heart. He sets his hands on the arms of the throne he currently sits in, the same he will call his own when his father retires as king if he does what needs to be done here and now. This is the dream he so desperately reaches for with every day he wakes and every night he lies his head on his pillow at night.

Letting it go now is not an option. Johnny has worked far too hard to prove to a father that never wanted him in the first place that he can do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. He had been the youngest in his family, but his brothers had been felled by the swords and arrows of the resistance as assassins climbed through the windows and found them in their sleep. None of them had ever come for Johnny, though.

If this is supposed to be a blessing of a curse, Johnny is not sure he could decide which.

“Sir.” The guard at his side speaks his name softly and Johnny tears his eyes away from the glossy doors in front of him to look to Taeil. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s what has to be done, after all. If you commit treason against the crown, you have to be prepared for what happens should you be caught.” Johnny swallows hard around the thought of the executioner’s axe, the blade glinting in the afternoon sunlight.

Taeil sighs softly and shakes his head. “That’s not what I mean. The two of you grew up together, did you not? Are you going to be okay after all this is said and done?”

“I have to be.” When Taeil gives him an exasperated expression, Johnny simply sighs at him in return and tents his fingers in front of his mouth. “If I fail now, if I fail to prove I can do this, then Father will never let me take the throne. He won’t see me as worthy if I can’t do this for him. I have to be okay because that is the only way I can take the throne in his place.”

Taeil’s eyes bore into him and Johnny resists the urge to squirm at the focused attention, keeping his gaze firmly fixed in front of him once more. “Is the throne really so important to you? I was under the impression you were once grateful for it to not be your responsibility.”

“My brothers are all dead and there is no one else who can take my father’s place when he steps down as king. If I don’t prove myself, what happens to our country? None of my cousins have been raised to understand this burden. They could never do what I have to do.” Johnny is envious of them, more than he wants to admit, but this is his opportunity to take.

“I just worry that you will push yourself too hard and too far and in the end, what you thought you wanted will strip you of everything you have.” Taeil’s voice is low, soft, considerate. He truly does worry. After all, he had been raised to guard Johnny with his life.

But Johnny merely shakes his head once more. “This is my responsibility to take, and I intend to do just that. No matter what the cost is. The price cannot be too high. Do you understand that?”

“I was raised to believe that my life was forfeit as long as I lost it protecting you, that I was to do anything in my power to keep the youngest prince alive.” Taeil’s voice borders on bitter at the very edges, and Johnny understands that, and could never hold it against him. “That being said, in a way I can understand. You should do what you think is right to do.”

The words are all the comfort Johnny is afforded before the doors swing open and two of his father’s guards stride into the room, Ten chained between them and looking rougher around the edges than Johnny remembers him being. Ten was far from easy to control as a child, had run wild through the halls of the palace, but his presence had been tolerated and enjoyed because it gave Johnny a friend. His father cared at least that much, or maybe Ten had been his distraction from everything that should have been important to him.

It should hardly surprise him that within months of Ten leaving his side, Johnny found himself in a position that the kingdom should become his. There was no celebration, of course, only the somber tones of funeral music and the black drapes in the hall to remind him that he gains nothing without sacrificing those he loves in the process.

This is, in a way, no different than that is.

“Your Majesty.” The guards bow, and the one who spoke aims a kick in the back of Ten’s knee, taking his feet out from behind him. He hisses, but he refuses to drop his eyes from where they burn into Johnny’s face. “We have brought the traitor before you as commanded.”

Johnny nods once, setting his hands back on the arms of the throne, doing his best to remain as serene and unaffected by this display as he can. “Ten, we’ve been looking for you for the better part of six years, and here you are. Did you think you could sneak into the palace?”

Ten snorts at him and tries to wrench his arms out of the grips of the guards with him, but of course they only tighten their hands on him and refuse to let him go. “What can I say? We had to take a shot at taking out the last heir to the throne. I’m not the only one. More will come.”

“They’re welcome to try.” Ten’s words punch through his chest, curling around his heart and threatening to rip it from his chest. His life had been on the line? Ten had come all this way and snuck into the palace just to make an attempt at killing him? Certainly his great hatred of the royal throne did not extend to Johnny in such a way. “But you will no longer have the opportunity to do so. You know the penalty for treason is death. It always has been.”

“I don’t care. It was well worth the shot.” Ten spits on the red rug beneath him and one of the guards smacks him in the back of the head so hard it makes even Johnny wince. “Do your worst. I don’t care if you cut my head off or hang me. My cause is greater than my life.”

_ Something we have in common, after all this time, _ Johnny thinks.

Taeil shifts next to him and the hostility rolling off of his small frame even gives Johnny pause. “You should show greater respect to your future king. He could show you mercy you aren’t entitled to, or he could condemn you to a painful and long death.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” Ten’s eyes meet Johnny’s like daggers. “You’re just a last resort.”

The words set Johnny’s jaw and he presses his fingers into the burnished gold beneath, taking a slow, deep breath to steady his words. “I’d like you to remember that the only reason my family requires my presence on the throne is because your lot have murdered my brothers.” Before Ten can respond, Johnny rises to his feet. “And as prince, it is my sworn duty to hand down punishment to those who commit treason against the crown. Because you broke into the palace and attempted to take my life, yours is now forfeit. Your execution will be tomorrow morning in front of the entire town so that they may learn from your mistake that there are consequences to all actions. Guards, take him to the dungeon. Please, Ten, enjoy the long night ahead of you, and I hope for your sake that you are as fearless as you would act.”

He lowers himself back onto the throne as the guards drag Ten out of the room, and only once the doors shut behind them does he allow himself to slouch back, his head thumping against the cushions behind him.

Next to him, Taeil turns to look at him. “He came here to kill you? Impossible! Ten would never do anything like that and you know that better than I do. He’d never—”

“Rebellion changes people, so I’ve heard. I suppose he’s only one of them.” Johnny drags a hand down his face, then sits up straight once more. “No matter. He failed in his attempt and will be punished for it. We’ll have to increase the guards in the palace because a failure will only elicit more attempts, I’m sure. If I die, no one else can take the throne.”

Though it is improper and would have received a proper scolding from Johnny’s father had he been in the room, Taeil rests a hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, my prince. I wish I knew what else to say, because this must have been hard on you—”

“I’m fine. I can handle myself and my responsibilities, as I said. It’s regrettable, but nothing more.” Just this once, Johnny perfectly schools his voice so that no hint of regret or uncertainty tints his words.

Ten came to kill him, after all.

* * *

The palace is dead silent as Ten sneaks along the long hallways, using the alternating patches of moonlight and shadow to disguise his movements, controlling his breathing the best he can. His heart slams repeatedly into his ribs, reminding him of what act he committed only moments ago, but he came here to complete a job and he would be remiss in failing such a simple task. The knife is wrapped carefully in a torn piece of fabric, easily accessible should he need to use it again, but he doubts anyone will discover his crime before he can leave.

Logic tells him to leave the palace behind and to return to the rebellion to give them the good news. That would be most correct, he knows. Let them know he succeeded in his mission and that they can officially get to work on the largest and most intricate part of their plan.

This isn’t what he does, though. He figures he’s owed something for his troubles.

Killing a member of the royal family is hardly easy, after all.

He knows where Johnny’s room is without having to try hard to find it, knowing all too well that Johnny would never change to one of his brother’s more spacious rooms because he likes his own place, his own piece of the palace that no one can take from him. It takes Ten only seconds to unlock the door. The hinges make no noise as he slips inside, closing the door behind him.

“I should have known you were going to come see him before you left.” Taeil’s voice is resigned as Ten turns to face him, the guard sitting in a chair right beside the door, his sword leaning against one leg. “Make it quick. I can’t ensure your safety if they find you here.”

“You didn’t drink any of the beer tonight. Smart man,” Ten murmurs.

Taeil rolls his eyes. “You should know me better than that by now! Of course I didn’t, I figured you might have snuck something into it. A little eavesdropping let me know they caught you closer to the kitchens than to Johnny’s bedroom. Far way to go if you’re trying to kill the prince.”

“I had to be sure no one was going to be able to stop me tonight, after all.” Ten drags an arm across his forehead to wipe the sweat beading there away. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He put on quite the performance, didn’t he? He’s out on the balcony this evening since it’s the easiest place for you to sneak away from. Don’t keep him long. He’s going to need his sleep if he can properly feign ignorance in the morning,” Taeil advises.

Ten pockets his dagger and locks the bedroom door behind him for good measure before crossing the room in quick and silent steps to find the balcony doors swung wide open. The evening breeze blows the curtains back, the thin gauzy material dancing in the air, almost hiding Johnny from view where he leans against the balcony. His sleep clothes are thinner and lighter than his royal robes and the moonlight cuts through them, outlining the shape of his body.

How long has it been since Ten had the opportunity to touch him? Far too long.

“You should have run off the moment you killed the old man,” Johnny tells him when Ten comes to stand next to him, shaking his head down at him. “Poor form, Ten. Your people are going to be disappointed if they found out you stopped to have a dalliance with me.”

Ten scoffs up at him. “What are you talking about? They won’t mind. After all, you’re the one who’s going to let our plan come to fruition.”

“Getting caught wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan, you know. You were supposed to get here before sunset, drug the alcohol, and then find somewhere to hide before nightfall.” Johnny gives him an unimpressed look, stretching out a hand to run soft fingers down the side of Ten’s face. “And then you dared to strain my acting skills and force me to sentence you to death. Treating a prince this way, you should be ashamed.”

Ten catches Johnny by the wrist and turns his head, pressing a small, warm kiss to the center of his palm. “I know, I know. It was my fault for getting caught.”

“You should be grateful that I gave you a chance to escape. I thought you might choke on the key I hid in the bread for you,” Johnny quips, his voice just this side of unsteady.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d want me to eat moldy bread. Nice touch, by the way, really appreciated the full prisoner treatment.” Ten kisses his palm again, then toward his wrist where he can feel Johnny’s pulse thrumming rapidly. “I knew you’d get me out of there.”

Johnny’s fingers curl against his face, catching a lock of hair and giving it a jerk hard enough to make Ten whine up at him for ruining the moment. “Don’t take this so lightly. Something awful could have happened to you and I would have had to stand by and watch as prince. Until my father was dead, everything had to be perfect. He couldn’t suspect anything.”

“But now he’s dead.” Ten flashes Johnny a smile. “And you’re going to be crowned king by your mother in the morning when everyone finds the body. And then we can change our home and make it something beautiful and perfect for the people who live here. Just like we talked about as kids, right? I told you the wait would be well worth it.”

Johnny nods at him and Ten sidles up next to him, slipping an arm around Johnny’s waist, pressing their sides together as he looks up at the sky above them. Their entire childhood had been so carefree but when the problems of their people were no longer able to slip their notice, they had formulated a plan more complex and complicated than anything the king or the resistance could have dreamed up on their own. Every piece had to fall perfectly into place and now, at the end of the journey, the dream is right there for them to grasp.

Though the rest of the resistance had their doubts, Ten has none. He had grown up at Johnny’s side, watched his heart bleed for the people he was helpless to save. His father would never have been enough when all of his brothers carried the same coldness like a cloak wrapped tight around their shoulders. Only Johnny could bring the necessary reforms.

“You should probably be going,” Johnny finally says, though the hollow tone of his voice tells Ten just how little he wants that. “It’s going to take time for everything here to settle, but the moment it does I’m going to make sure you and yours can join me here. I promise.”

“I know. I trust you.” Ten leans up on his toes to kiss the corner of Johnny’s mouth. “Give me a proper kiss for the journey. I think I’ve well earned it.”

He takes the collar of Johnny’s shirt and pulls him down, fingers curling in the soft loose fabric and tugging just hard enough for Johnny to get the message. Their lips meet soft and smooth in the middle and Johnny’s eyes flutter shut, lashes creating soft shadows on his cheeks. Ten tries to ingrain each movement of their lips into his mind, the way that Johnny leans into him, the taste of Johnny’s tongue against his own. It may be weeks before he gets the chance to do this again and he’s waited years just for this chance.

“I’ll be seeing you soon,” Ten tells him. “So keep your chin up and do your best, my king.”

Johnny’s soft smile is lopsided. “I will. Tell the resistance I hope to be the king you all need me to be for our people. I love you, Ten.”

Ten swallows around the lump in his throat. “I love you, too.”

He steals away into the shadows, climbs down the wall as quickly as possible from the balcony and takes off into the trees surrounding the pathway up to the palace. As quietly as he managed to sneak in, he sneaks out, leaving the palace behind.

Not for long, though. Soon, he’ll be able to return to Johnny’s side for good.


End file.
